We're all aware of and know that attention spans are decreasing thanks to our ever increasing social media driven world. A study conducted by Microsoft in 2015 observed that the average human attention span is rapidly declining.
In the year 2000, we still had an attention span of 12 seconds . Three years later, the average went down to 8 seconds. Unfortunately for us, that means we come pretty close to the average attention span of a goldfish. (1)
So that makes it fairly obvious that in order to bring the attention to where we want it, we need to become more visual. An easy and obvious way to do that is to use more images.
No, I’m not speaking about cheap and cheesy stock photography – because although it might make you take notice, it's unlikely that it is for the right reasons.
To help you capture the right type of attention from your guests during that very narrow window, I have curated a list of the best places to download royalty free stock images.
PicJumbo
Though PicJumbo is free and adds new images daily (you can sign-up to get notifications) the designer and photographer Viktor Hanacek does offer a premium package starting at only $10/month. However, all PicJumbo images are high quality and cover a wide range of themes.
Unsplash
“Gifted by the world’s most generous community of photographers.”
Thanks to Unsplash photographers across the globe can upload their photographs and share with anyone interested in their work. You can find anything from cookies, to notebooks and party pineapples.
NegativeSpace
Like the negative space of a photograph, so NegativeSpace. Categorized beautifully, you can explore all of NegativeSpaces’ CC0 licensed images. They have something for everybody.
Death to stock
“You’ve looked for hours, you can’t find the right one, it doesn’t have the right look. Omg what is that? Too expensive…More of the same…Boring. Curses. Help!”
Say hello to Death to Stock. To join the community simply submit your e-mail and enjoy new photos delivered to your inbox every month.
FreeRange
With the sentiment that even free stock photos can be good photos, Freerange provides quality stock photos for both commercial and on-commercial use. What’s nice here too, is that photographers get paid when users click on the ads that appear next to their submission. It’s a win-win for everyone.
LibreShot
SEO consultant and photographer Martin Vorel has turned a passion into something that he can share with others’. LibreShot is basic in design, but boasts versatile and crisp photographs for everyone to use.
Startup Stock Photos
Don’t assume that because it’s catering to start-ups that you wont find what you’re looking for. You can find plenty of professional options. The only downfall here is there is no search function making it slightly less user friendly.
Do you have other resources that you use and can recommend? Let us know in the comments section below.
